One reason Dion Phaneuf was not traded to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday was because the Toronto Maple Leafs’ asking price was too high.
According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, the only team Phaneuf – who has a modified no-trade clause – had on his list that was a realistic trade partner with the Maple Leafs was the Red Wings.
However, the Maple Leafs wanted prospect Anthony Mantha as part of a deal, which was too steep a price for the Red Wings.
Mantha was the 20th-overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and is having a quality rookie season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League. The 20-year-old, who had 260 points in 189 games during his junior career with the Val d’Or Foreurs in the QMJHL, is one of the top prospects in the Red Wings organization.
The Maple Leafs were even reportedly willing to keep a portion of Phaneuf’s salary.
There was also speculation that the Maple Leafs would have needed to take back a significant contract such as Stephen Weiss’s $4.9-million cap hit for the next three seasons.
The Red Wings ended up acquiring offensive-minded blueliner Marek Zidlicky from the New Jersey Devils.
The Leafs made a pair of minor deals on Monday, sending Olli Jokinen to the St. Louis Blues for forward Joakim Lindstrom and a conditional 2016 sixth-round pick, and they shipped defenceman Korbinian Holzer to the Anaheim Ducks for Eric Brewer and a fifth-round pick.
